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In order to feel our best, our clothes should be a reflection of our inner selves. We should aim to dress to express something of our personality. However, being aware of any physical shortcomings (or excesses) we might have, it makes sense to keep them in mind when choosing an outfit.

We previously covered the flattering aspects of wide legged and palazzo pants for those of us with heavy thighs, however….

Fashion is fickle – we are bombarded by images of what is ‘in’ right now. To the concern of those of us with classically feminine thighs (?), the dreaded skinny jeans appear to be ‘de rigueur’ at present.

(Have you noticed the bargain rails in stores are full of extremely skinny pants they have been unable to sell – the times they are a-changin’!)

So, short of ignoring fashion trends altogether, what is available to us?

Fortunately, there are readily available options…

*Look for a selection of pants which, while a little narrower in the leg, still avoid clinging to your thighs, while skimming them politely. There are a variety available in the shops in viscose, a very co-operative fibre.

To get the narrower look without the severity of ‘skinny bitch’ jeans, search for pants which are loosely caught in at the ankle, either slightly ruched on each side seam or tapered gently to the ankle. (They are available, don’t be scared of looking in the cheap trendy shops (Newlook in the UK, Ally, SES & Valley Girl in Australia or ASOS online globally) they are often one step ahead. The fashions may look ‘too young’ at times in these shops, but they often stock useful basic lines unavailable elsewhere)

BE WARY THOUGH, of baggy summer trousers, elasticated sharply at the ankle – they tend to ride above the ankle bone and thereby give a very unflattering line to most figure types by visually shortening the legs (read more about visually lengthening your legs here)

In order to look elegant in slimmer line trousers we need to put away the shorter tops which look so good with our wide legged pants. Don’t throw them away – they will be back!

To complement the perfect pants when you find them – look for equally unstructured tops in similar soft fabrics and select a length most flattering to your figure type – you will know them when you try it on!

Dresssense is essentially a guide to dressing for the figure we have right now. Some aspects of our shape + proportion we can do nothing to change – but, looking around, how many of us would clearly benefit from losing a few kilos?

We have all tried various regimes and diets suggested by manufacturers and magazines – some with a little success sometimes.

The truth is – we can all lose weight if we really want to – without paying a cent. We have to fully accept the responsibility ourselves.

So here it is:

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

Okay girls – we all know what we should and shouldn’t eat, we all know we have to exercise – we all know we should drink more water -

SO WHAT IS GOING WRONG?
WHY AREN’T WE LOSING THOSE EXTRA KILOS?

The answer is simple – we have developed bad habits which are sabotaging our efforts – EVERY DAY!

The Ten Deadly Habits

Imaginary “calorie cancellation”
Be honest with yourself – be aware of everything which passes your lips. There are no free calories – even that chip from someone else’s plate!

Learn to distinguish real hunger from ‘fancying something to eat’. Teach yourself to enjoy the sensation of hunger!

Portion size – we are generally smaller than men and therefore require fewer calories – keep this in mind when dishing up!

Breakfast – sorry, but it is essential.
It takes three weeks at most to learn to enjoy it. (Women who skip breakfast but on weight more readily – FACT.)

Concentrate – eat only when you can pay full attention to your food – no mindless chewing in front of the TV or cinema screen!

Eat slowly - give yourself time to enjoy every mouthful and chew well (and give your stomach time to send a message to your brain to tell it when you have had enough!)

Beware of cheese – very high in calories and as we know, very tasty – choose lean protein instead.

Eating out – the more we eat out the less nutritious our diet becomes – FACT.

Soft Drinks – they are all either full of sugar or chemicals, neither of which we need – train your palate to enjoy plain water and green tea or herbal teas, or pure fruit juice diluted with water.

Alcohol - Sorry – this is a habit most of us have come to enjoy – but if we value our health, looks and waistline, one drink a day is the only safe allowance – two for special occasions!

If you have just one problem area, such as big hips, saddlebags or bust, it is a great technique to always use your dark tones on these areas and highlight your better features with lighter tones.

Those of us who are shorter, chunkier or have shorter legs than we would like would be well advised to avoid wearing strongly contrasting tones on our top and bottom halves. For example, don’t visually cut yourself in half by wearing a dark top and light trousers or light top and dark skirt. Any visual dissection like that will further reduce the length of your body (see illustration below).

By keeping your top and bottom halves tonally close you will give the illusion of a slimmer, taller you. This does not mean that both halves have to be the same colour – just tonally similar – as light or dark as each other.

This season there are cleverly designed dresses available which do the work for us, making use of tonal contrast to flatter any figure. It is a simple trick, not new, but very effective. The idea is that the central panel of the garment is in one colour, or print, while the side panels, framing it, are in a darker tone. If the contrast is too great, for example black and white, this technique can look too obvious, but Mark & Spencers have produced some very successful examples this season.

Play around with these ideas to visually sculpt a new you without the gym.

Useful if you need to visually widen your shoulders – good for hippy girls too, as it helps to balance shoulders and hips.

Therefore, people with very slim figures can wear all light coloured outfits with no problem – in fact those who feel they are too thin will find that light colours help to give them volume.

The rest of us know how wearing black outfits visibly ‘shrinks’ our outline – great for ‘feeling fat’ days! But some people are convinced that they can’t wear black for various reasons. I believe everyone can wear black to great effect with a little planning.

Redheads always look great in black – simply because they have enough natural colour above the neckline to carry it off effortlessly – warm hair & skin tone, green or blue eyes, possibly freckles & rosy cheeks. It is often a favourite colour of redheads as it is a perfect foil for their natural palette.

Those of us without the advantage of an interesting natural colour scheme don’t need to be left out:

Eyebrows – if you have indeterminate eyebrows get them tinted and shaped

Eye Make-up – a little more pronounced than you would normally wear – experiment with eye shadow colours.

A little blusher – always flattering to give your face definition.

Highlight brow bones & cheekbones.

Using these hints, you can wear black when you choose, looking glamorous and not dowdy (and a size smaller too!)

The female body typically carries an extra layer of fat tissue – it is what gives us our curves and softness, but an excess in specific areas can be a problem.

The thighs can stubbornly retain fat, creating an impediment to elegance. Fortunately there are several simple ways to conceal over enthusiastic thighs thereby drawing attention away from them.

Trouser / Pant suggestions for troublesome thighs

When choosing trousers, if there is a definite convex outline when you look at your side view – then those pants are not for you!

Similarly, try to avoid trouser styles which are tight enough to produce horizontal creasing around the crotch – these become exaggerated as you walk and draw attention to the problem.

Try instead elegant and flattering Palazzo pants or the similar Katharine Hepburn wide legged and tailored long pants almost touching the floor (over shoes with heels to keep yourself in proportion).

One last piece of trouser advice – avoid sharply tapered trousers, these create a peg shape, highlighting the contrast between bulky thighs and narrow calves.

Skirts for thicker thighs

Avoid skirts cut on the bias – they cling in all the wrong places for you.

High waisted skirts and dresses which flare and skim over the thighs are the kindest shape as well as the current trend for full length floaty dresses which are ideal for concealing this particular problem area.